There is a group of people, mostly in the US at the moment, who identify as “intactivists”. These are people who passionately fight against amputating the foreskin of babies, often called circumcision, that is routine in the US. They’ll tell you all about the 16 functions of the foreskin, the over 60% of men worldwide who are intact (i.e. not circumcised) with no related issues, and a whole host of facts and philosophies debunking a practice that most developed nations have left in the past.
I won’t be going over any of that today. All I want to share is my personal experience as a person with an intact penis.
What happened in the hospital
After I was born, my parents were confronted with the question of whether I would be circumcised. My mother, who has always been a devout Christian and is now a priest, was conflicted on the issue. Despite the common practice of her religion, infant circumcision seemed like a wild idea on the surface to her, so she asked the medical professionals to explain the process and the reasons for doing it.
She was not convinced.
My father, who was circumcised as an infant, stood strongly against having his child circumcised. This was a comfort for my mother and the decision to keep me intact was made.
There is an important second part to this story. When I was born, my right testicle was about one quarter the size of my left testicle. After consulting with a urologist, it was recommended that my left testicle be surgically descended to give my right testicle room to grow. My parents took the recommendation.
It worked. Today, my right testicle is fully functional and about 80% the size of my left testicle.
Why is that second part important? It demonstrates that my parent’s decision to keep me intact did not come from an extremist position. It was made with sound logic and consideration for my well-being. There was no need to amputate my foreskin but there was need to perform minor genital reconstructive surgery. In my opinion, they made the right decision on both fronts.
My favorite body part
If you haven’t guessed by now, the body part I’m referring to in the title is my foreskin. But why is my foreskin my favorite body part?
It’s magical.
Foreskin is more than just skin. It’s both sensitive and protective. It’s smooth and soft. It’s stretchy and fun to play with even in a non-sexual way! Like my lips or my eyelids, my foreskin has different parts and surfaces for different functions, and it makes all kinds of sexual activities easier and more enjoyable. There’s really no match for it, and salespeople at sex shops I’ve encountered have often come to the conclusion that there’s not much they can sell me that will significantly improve the physical sensations I can experience with my penis given that I’m intact.
While I’ve tried to put it into words, my love for my foreskin is quite abstract. I recommend watching this video from Clinical Sexologist Dr. Lindsey Doe who does a fantastic job enthusiastically demonstrating many of the cool things about foreskin.
My least favorite body part
After all that praise, what issue might I have with my foreskin?
I wish I had more of it.
I̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶b̶o̶d̶y̶’̶s̶ ̶f̶a̶u̶l̶t̶.̶ ̶B̶o̶d̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶f̶f̶e̶r̶e̶n̶t̶.̶
Since originally writing this article, I’ve discovered that there are people at fault. In my time spent around intactivists, I’ve seen clear advocation against retracting the foreskin of a child as they’re developing. Well, as I was growing up, I was instructed by my physician, with both of my parents present, to try retracting my foreskin, just not to the point of pain. I’ve always remembered the conversation very clearly and I can now sense the ignorance that coursed through that room. Unfortunately, I complied out of trust, though only a bit. I now understand that even that small bit of retraction is likely the reason I don’t have as much foreskin as I’d like, which makes me angry in a new way I’m still dealing with.
When my penis is at its typical flaccid resting state, my foreskin naturally covers only about half of the glans (AKA the head). When I was a child, my foreskin completely covered it, keeping the sensitive tip protected from all of the things that might touch it, usually my underwear. People who grew up without a foreskin often become desensitized to the constant stimulation of their glans. I’d prefer to keep the full protection I enjoyed when I was young.
Additionally, I want more of all the cool parts of foreskin mentioned above, too. I envy the fun sexual play unlocked by long foreskin! Alas, we don’t yet have the biotechnology to modify my body quite the way I would like. However, it appears that may come about during my lifetime and I’ll be excited to take advantage of it when it does!
My overall experience
There are many myths surrounding foreskin amputation. Again, there are people who will show you the studies and the numbers that uncover the truth. But if you’re looking for an anecdote, I’ll tell you that the only real issue I’ve ever had with my foreskin is the nets installed in some boys swim trunks. I don’t know what idiot thought they were a good idea, but they definitely don’t help “keep stuff out” — they just catch pebbles and foreskin. Utter nonsense and I suggest you avoid swim trunks with nets regardless of your or your child’s genital situation.
In all seriousness, I’ve never had a single health issue related to my foreskin. Cleaning my intact penis has never been complicated or difficult and I can’t imagine how it would be even for people with learning disabilities. Nothing gets caught in it. I was never made fun of for having foreskin (actually, it was a fun conversation-starter a few times growing up). I don’t think it’s ugly or weird and neither has anyone else who has seen it. At no point in my life have I ever wished I was circumcised, and even if I did, I’d be glad I got to make the decision myself.
